The Journey Begins Only a Typhoon magnitude storm, could be held responsible for a change of schedule; but after several days of waiting, it finally happened last week. Last Wednesday, September 20th of 2017 was the IMCCI orientation welcome party. IMCCI stands for International Master Program of the Arts in Cultural and Creative Industries and has a long standing tradition and reputation for being the most culturally diverse host program in TNUA. Not only that, but is the only Masters program solely taught in English throughout the University. IMCCI is part of the School of Culture Resources and, with a new and bigger batch of 13 incoming students from all over the world, that is where the event took place. 5:30 in the afternoon was the time set for the appointment. A long table full of delicious dishes was decorating the back of the room from corner to corner. Dinner was meant to be shared among new friends. With the presence and presentation of personalities like TNUA’s new president, Professor Kai-Huang Chen, who holds a master’s degree in Plastic Art from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) from Paris, France and is also known for his mixed-media plastic art, installation art, conceptual art, and contemporary art theory and thinking; the evening got started. Among our other special invited guest we had at the gathering were the Dean of the School of Cultural Resources: Professor Chang, Wan-Chen; Assistant Professor from the Department of Theatre: Professor Ho, I - Fan; Specialist of Secretariat Office: Ms. Irene Yen and Executive Secretary: Ms. Sonia Chen. Our host representative staff members that attended were Professor Yatin Lin, Chairperson for IMCCI, also an Associate Professor from the Graduate Institute of the School of Dance, who holds a Ph.D. in Dance History and Theory in the University of California Riverside with a Specialty in Arts Festivals and Contemporary Dance and is the President of the Taiwan Dance Research Society; Professor I-Wen Chang, our new IMCCI full time faculty Assistant Professor with a Ph.D. in Culture and Performance from the University of California in Los Angeles, she is a Freelance Writer Art Critic; Professor Randy Finch, Visiting Associate Professor with a JD degree in Law in Fordham University, United States, with a Specialty in Film Producing, Film Marketing and Intellectual Property Rights; our Chinese Studies Professor Ivy Chiang; and IMCCI Teaching Assistants: Chuan-Li Huang, USR / Hi-Five CLC Project Manager, and Hsiu-Wen Ko, ICDF’s Project Manager. Including all of the assistants mentioned above and adding to that the current IMCCI students, now seniors, and a couple of IMCCI former students (alumni from Israel, Malaysia and Guatemala), we had a very full room filled with excitement for the beginning journey and the vast amount of possibilities they are facing thanks to the program and the Taiwanese experience. This fresh IMCCI class doubles last year’s in numbers; traveling from countries among which we have: El Salvador, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Malaysia, Spain, Mexico, Honduras, Canada and Dominican Republic. Making this higher the percentage for some countries that have previously been part of the program and also creating new landmarks for those who are here for the first time. Countries from all the continents have been the representation flag for the reputation that presides behind the internationality of the IMCCI master’s program. South Africa, Belize, Russia, Slovakia, Panama, Colombia and United States, are just some examples of the ongoing list ( in addition to those already previously mentioned). The event consisted on the presentation of all of the TNUA personalities that are in one way or another involved with the IMCCI program and classes. General aspects of the program were also given, as for tips, warnings and details about life in campus, in TNUA, and in Taiwan as a foreigner student . Those invited were able to meet each other, eat dinner, mingle, network and learn through the presentations some key highlights of Taiwan’s life as a student here in TNUA, tips, feedback and experience on future prospects in the after IMCCI life, given by the alumni. The IMCCI program is rich in diversity because only very gifted and lucky Taiwanese students are allowed to be added to the mix IMCCI offers; thus creating a very interesting and perfect balance of cross-cultural and international culture. The program’s main goal is to create opportunities on an international level in the vast cultural field and among all the Arts Creative Business. Every single one of their students has a different background, specialty, experience and focus from one another; allowing the developing of innovative pool of ideas and projects in an unparalleled network environment. For many of the students in IMCCI, it is their first time in Taiwan, let alone Asia. And among the topics discussed, was realizing the beautiful opportunity they have to be classmates of one another: by meeting daily and being one despite having other traditions, language, habits, ways of interacting and talking from each other. It is not only just being classmates with one another, but collaborating and creating connections for the future. The key components of the program are the inter-cultural relations that will last for life and the tremendous opportunity to immerse in the Taiwanese culture and learn its language by first hand experience, which opens worlds beyond possibilities. It’s Heterogeneity and diversity was discussed as a means of proposal to embrace each other’s strengths, differences and potential to work together, to coexist with one another as a family (because friends are your family when you are living abroad), to face possible culture shock and deal with opportunities for the future. Most of its students have a different mother tongue from the program’s language . And by living in Taiwan, they are able to learn and catch mandarin more easily trough everyday life experiences. Only by being open minded, tolerant, humble, able to explore, analyze, plan and do new things, will the obstacles to come be much easier to handle. English version written by Jeanette Cedeño Photo by 黃湧恩 （Yung En Huang）